The present invention relates generally to expandable trailers and satellite communication stations and, more specifically, to an expandable trailer having movable floor and roof panels such that the use of floor space in the trailer is improved.
It is often necessary to transport sophisticated equipment to various parts of the world for temporary use. An example of equipment to be transported is satellite communication equipment. In many places, permanent structures have been built which house sophisticated satellite communication-related equipment. The accompanying satellite antenna is mounted on or near the structure. Such a satellite communication station is highly useful for military and civilization communication purposes. However, there are many parts of the world that lack modem satellite communication stations. Also, due to various situations such as natural disasters, permanent satellite communication stations may become temporarily unusable. In both of these cases, there is a need for a satellite communication station which may be easily transported to a given location and quickly set up for use. Currently, no such system is available.
Expandable trailers have long been used to partially overcome the size limitations placed on highway-transportable vehicles. Trucks and trailers to be transported over public roads are limited in how wide and long they may be. However, it is often desirable to have more space inside the truck or trailer once the truck or trailer reaches its destination. For example, travel trailers are popular for vacation travel. However, as with other types of trailers, travel trailers are limited in width. Once a vacationing family reaches their destination, they may wish to have more space inside the trailer. To address this need, expandable trailers have been developed wherein an opening in a side of the trailer supports an expansion module which moves outwardly once the trailer reaches its destination, thereby giving increased interior space. Expandable trailers have also been used for other applications such as mobile offices, mobile surgical units, and mobile theaters. In each case, expansion modules of the trailers extend outwardly from the sides of the trailer to give increased interior space once the trailer reaches its destination. A challenge faced in the design of expandable trailers is how to nest the expansion module with the central portion of the trailer in a space-sufficient manner. In most cases, the expansion module includes an outer wall panel, two end wall panels, and a roof panel and floor panel, with each of these panels remaining in a fixed configuration with respect to the others. When the expansion module is moved inwardly to a closed, or transport, position, the fixed roof, floor, and end panels intrude into the interior space of the central portion of the trailer. That is, the roof panel typically rests below the existing roof of the central portion, and the floor panel rests above the existing floor of the central portion. Therefore, items to be transported in the trailer may not occupy the space where the two sections of floor and roof overlap. This is likewise true with the end panels. While this may not present problems in a travel trailer environment, some applications are not well-suited to this arrangement.
One approach to partially overcoming this problem is to have the roof and floor panels nest into pockets in the floor and ceiling of the central portion of the trailer. In this way, the roof and floor of the central portion of the trailer remain useable when the expansion module is closed. An example of this approach is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,955,661 to Mattice. The Mattice patent shows an expandable trailer designed for surgical applications. The floor of the central portion of the trailer is somewhat raised and the ceiling is somewhat lowered so as to define spaces wherein the roof and floor panels of the expandable portion may reside when the expansion module is closed. A significant drawback to this approach is that the overall usable height in the central portion of the trailer is significantly reduced by raising the floor and lowering the ceiling. This is unacceptable for some applications. In light of this, there remains a need for an expandable trailer wherein the roof panel and floor panel of the expansion portion of the trailer do not interfere with the useable height in the central portion of the trailer.
The present invention overcomes many of the shortcomings of the prior art by providing an expandable trailer for transport and use of satellite-communication related equipment. The trailer includes a generally horizontal support frame with a front end designed to interconnect with a towing vehicle and a rear end. The support frame includes ground-engaging wheels for transport purposes and has an upper surface which defines the floor of the trailer. A pair of spaced apart generally vertical side walls extends upwardly from the support frame and define an interior transport area therebetween. At least one of the side walls has an opening defined therein. An expansion module is supported in the opening. The expansion module includes a front panel and a rear panel that are generally vertical and have an inboard edge and an outboard edge. The panels are spaced apart so as to define the front and rear of the expansion module. A generally vertical side panel extends between the outboard edges of the front and rear panels and has an upper edge and a lower edge. The expansion module has a closed position, wherein the side panel is generally aligned with the side wall and the outboard edges of the front and rear panels are adjacent to the side wall. The expansion module also has an expanded position, wherein the side panel is spaced from the side wall and the inboard edges of the front and rear panels are adjacent the side wall. Some embodiments include a movable floor panel that has a storage position wherein the floor panel is generally parallel to the side panel. The floor panel is placed in the storage position when the expansion module is in the closed position. The floor panel also has a use position, wherein the floor panel is generally perpendicular to the side panel. The floor panel is placed in this position when the expansion module is in the expanded position so that the floor panel extends between the floor of the trailer and the lower edge of the side panel. Some embodiments include a movable roof panel that has one edge hingedly connected to the side wall above the opening. The movable roof panel extends downwardly adjacent the side panel when the expansion module is in the closed position. The roof panel is pivoted upwardly when the expansion module is moved to the expanded position such that the roof panel extends outwardly from the side wall and rests atop the upper edge of the side panel.